Checker-board.



W. K. RUSSELL.

GHEGKER BOARD APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8 1912.

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A T'TOE/YE) WILLIAM KENNETH RUSSELL, OF KIESLING STATION, WASHINGTON.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed June 8, 1912. Serial No. 702,578.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, WILLIAM KENNET RUssnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kiesling Station, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Checker-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to games, and more particularly to checker boards in which the checkers are normally associated with the board in such a manner that they cannot be manually raised or' removed from the board, but must he slid over the board surface when playing.

The principal objects of my invention are to adapt the checker board that the game may be played more accurately; to enable beginners to quickly learn the principle of the game by having the possible moves indicated on the board and, to avoid the scattering of the checkers should the board he misplaced from its normal horizontal position.

Further objects of my invention are to enable the checkers to be quickly removed from the board if such is desired.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a top plan View of a checker board embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a checker. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the checker board, showing in part, a detail of my invention. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in the drawing, the board is built up of a base 1, upon which is secured marginal strips 2 and 3, and field strips 4:.

Upon the latter I indicate dark and light checks 6 and 7, respectively, which may be painted or otherwise indicated on the field strips 4;.

The checkers are designated by 8 and are provided with keys 9 at their under side and, as shown, such keys preferably consist of a shank 9 and head 9", although the shape of the head may be varied, the essential feature of the key being to have a reduced portion, such as shank 9, above an enlarged member, such as head 9", and adjacent the checker 8.

The keys 9 of the checkers 8 may ride in assembling key grooves 10, which, as shown in the drawing, are intermediate thesmarginal strips 2 and 3, and the field strips 4: about thechecker field; play key grooves 11 extending diagonally across the dark checks 6 and all communicating with the said assembling key grooves 10, or, exit key grooves 12, which run transversely through the dark checks 6 intermediate the checks at the end of the board, which serve as the crowning checks when the game is played, and also communicating at each side with the beforementioned assembling key grooves 10. All of the grooves are formed complementary to the keys, and in the example shown in the drawing, are inverted T-shaped so that the head and shank may freely move therein but does not permit the checker to be removed from the board.

Preferably at opposite corners of the board, I provide removing key grooves 13 communicating with the assembling key grooves 10 which former are conveniently formed by allowing a space between one end of each marginal strip 2 and the adjacent strip 3, the latter being provided with recesses 14 while strips 2 carry a bolt 15 adapted to normally traverse the grooves 13 by action of aspring 16, a pin 17 secured to the bolt 15 and passing through a groove 18 in the strip 2, enabling the bolt to be drawn to remove the checkers from the board.

It is obvious that the general construction of the board as hereinbefore described may be modified, as is found desirable in practice, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, the board may be formed from one piece of material, such as wood or heavy cardboard, in which case the grooves are formed by a cutter head of the particular shape of the key, as is the practice in wood work for producing under cut grooves.

The operation of the device is as follows: The checkers are arranged in the usual manner on the darkchecks 6, by moving them from assembling key grooves 10 to their position on the checks by way of playing key grooves 11, and the game is played as is customary. In the event of the so called jump the dead checker is moved directly to the assembling key groove 10 through the exit groove 12.

From the foregoing it is made manifest that the possible moves are indicated by the diagonal or playing grooves, and that the checkers cannot be normally removed from the board, nor will they become scattered by a tilting of the board.

I claim 1. A checker game comprising in combination, a board having a plurality of move indicating marks, assembling key grooves running exteriorly of said move indicating marks, and playing key grooves communieating with said assembling key grooves and traversing the said move indicating marks, and, a plurality of pieces provided with keys adapted to run in any of the said key grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A checker game comprising in combination, a board having a plurality of move indicating marks, assembling key grooves running exteriorly of said move indicating marks, playing key grooves communicating with said assembling key grooves and traversing the said move indicating marks, and exit key grooves communicating with said playing and assembling key grooves and traversing said move indicating marks, and, a plurality of pieces provided with keys adapted to run in any of the said grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A checker game comprising in combination, a board having a plurality of move indicating marks, assembling key grooves running exteriorly of said move indicating marks, playing key grooves communicating with said assembling key grooves and traversing the said move indicating marks, exit key grooves communicating with said playing and assembling key goo'ves and traversing said move indicating marks, and removing key grooves communicating with said assembling grooves and the margin of said board; a plurality of pieces provided with keys adapted to run in any of the said key grooves; and, means for controlling movement of said pieces out of said remov ing key grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A checker game comprising in combination, a board having a checker field, assembling grooves adjacent the margins of the board exteriorly of the checker field, playing key grooves extending diagonally crosswise the playing checks of said field and communicating with the. assembling key 0 grooves, and exit key grooves extending transversely through the playing checks intermediate the end playing checks of said field and communicating with said playing and assembling key grooves, a plurality of 5 checkers; and, a plurality of keys, one for each checker secured to the bottom thereof and adapted to enter and be moved in any of the said key grooves of said checker board, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A checker game comprising in combination, a board having a checker field assembling key grooves adjacent the margins of the board, exteriorly of the checker field, playing grooves extending diagonally crosswise the playing checks of said field and communicating with said assembling key grooves, exit grooves extending transversely through the playing checks intermediate the end playing checks of said field and communicating with said playing and assembling key grooves, and removing key grooves communicating with said assembling key grooves and the margin of said board; a plurality of checkers; a plurality of keys, one for each checker, secured to the bottom thereof and adapted to enter and be moved in any of the said key grooves of said checker board; and, means for controlling movement of the said keys of said pieces out of said removing key grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM KENNETH RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

H. FUNox, JNO. M. HUART.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

